High-rate injection screen assembly with checkable ports

Abstract

A screen assembly can be used for “gravel pack” or “frac pack” operations and can then withstand high rate injections. The disclosed screen assembly is able to withstand the flow of the packing operation by not allowing fluid passage from the annulus to inside the screen assembly. Then, the screen assembly can be opened and facilitate high rate injection for the life of the well. To achieve this, the disclosed screen assembly does not allow slurry flow to enter the screen assembly during the packing operation. Then, after the packing is completed, the screen assembly provides enough open flow area so that a high injection rate with solid content can be introduced into the annulus without eroding the screen.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a borehole, comprising:
 a basepipe having an interior and defining at least one first orifice, the interior conveying the fluid flow, the at least one first orifice communicating the interior with the borehole; 
 a first filter disposed on the basepipe adjacent the at least one first orifice and filtering the fluid flow communicated between the interior and the borehole, wherein the first filter and the basepipe define a gap therebetween communicating the fluid flow; 
 at least one first outflow valve disposed at the at least one first orifice, the at least one first outflow valve permitting communication of the fluid flow in an outflow direction from the interior to the borehole and preventing communication of the fluid flow in an inflow direction from the borehole into the interior; 
 a flow device in fluid communication with the gap and communicating the gap with the interior of the basepipe; and 
 a cross-over assembly operable in a first operation communicating the fluid flow to the borehole, the at least one first outflow valve preventing communication of returns of the fluid flow from the first operation in the inflow direction into the interior, the flow device permitting the returns in the inflow direction into the interior. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first outflow valve comprises a ball movable between engaged and disengaged conditions relative to a portion of the at least one first orifice. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one first outflow valve comprises an insert affixed in the at least one first orifice, the ball engageable against the insert. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the first filter is disposed on the basepipe external to the at least one orifice and holds the ball adjacent the at least one first orifice. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the ball is removable from the at least one orifice. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first filter comprises a plurality of rings stacked adjacent one another on an exterior of the basepipe. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein at least some of the rings define at least one pocket disposed external to the at least one first orifice, the at least one pocket of the at least some rings capturing a portion of the at least one first outflow valve disposed at the at least one first orifice. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one second outflow valve disposed at at least one second orifice on the basepipe, the at least one second outflow valve permitting communication of the fluid flow in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole and preventing communication of the fluid flow in the inflow direction from the borehole into the interior, wherein the cross-over assembly prevents the returns in the interior from the flow device from communicating with the at least one second outflow valve. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising at least one second outflow valve disposed at at least one second orifice on the basepipe, the at least one second outflow valve permitting communication of the fluid flow in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole and preventing communication of the fluid flow in the inflow direction from the borehole into the interior, wherein a sleeve disposed on the basepipe selectively prevents the returns in the interior from the flow device from communicating with the at least one second outflow valve. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an injection assembly operable in a second operation communicating the fluid flow into the interior of the basepipe, the at least one first outflow valve permitting communication of the fluid flow from the second operation in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flow device comprises a flow restriction restricting the fluid flow from the gap into the interior of the basepipe. 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the flow device comprises at least one inflow valve permitting communication of the fluid flow in the inflow direction from the gap to the interior and preventing communication of the fluid flow in the outflow direction from the interior to the gap. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first filter filters the fluid flow communicated in the inflow direction from the borehole to the interior and prevents particulate from passing therethrough. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first filter bridges off with particulate in the fluid flow communicated in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a second filter disposed adjacent the at least one first orifice and bridging off with particulate in the fluid flow communicated in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one first outflow valve bridges off with particulate in the fluid flow communicated in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole. 
     
     
       17. A method for controlling fluid flow in a borehole, the method comprising:
 communicating, through at least one first orifice in a basepipe, the fluid flow between an interior of the basepipe and the borehole; 
 filtering, through a first filter at the at least one first orifice, the fluid flow communicated between the interior and the borehole; 
 permitting, through at least one first outflow valve at the at least one first orifice, communication of the fluid flow in an outflow direction from the interior to the borehole; and 
 preventing, through the at least one first outflow valve at the at least one first orifice, communication of the fluid flow in an inflow direction from the borehole into the interiors; 
 permitting communication of the fluid flow in a gap between the first filter and the basepipe; 
 permitting, through at least one inflow valve, communication of the fluid flow from the gap to the interior; and 
 preventing, through the at least one inflow valve, communication of the fluid flow from the interior to the gap. 
 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 17 , wherein permitting communication of the fluid flow in the outflow direction comprises disengaging a ball of the at least one first outflow valve relative to a portion of the at least one first orifice. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein preventing communication of the fluid flow in the inflow direction comprises engaging the ball of the at least one first outflow valve relative to the portion of the at least one first orifice. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 18 , wherein disengaging the ball of the at least one first outflow valve relative to the portion of the at least one first orifice comprises holding the ball with the first filter at the at least one first orifice. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising restricting the fluid flow from the gap into the interior. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 17 , wherein filtering the fluid flow communicated between the interior and the borehole comprise filtering with the first filter the fluid flow communicated from the borehole to the interior and preventing particulate from passing therethrough. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 17 , further comprising bridging off with particulate in the fluid flow from the interior to the borehole in a fluid loss operation. 
     
     
       24. An apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a borehole, comprising:
 a basepipe having an interior and defining at least one first orifice, the interior conveying the fluid flow, the at least one first orifice communicating the interior with the borehole; 
 a first filter disposed on the basepipe adjacent the at least one first orifice and filtering the fluid flow communicated between the interior and the borehole; and 
 at least one first outflow valve disposed at the at least one first orifice, the at least one first outflow valve permitting communication of the fluid flow in an outflow direction from the interior to the borehole and preventing communication of the fluid flow in an inflow direction from the borehole into the interior, 
 wherein the first filter comprises a plurality of rings stacked adjacent one another on an exterior of the basepipe, and 
 wherein at least some of the rings define at least one pocket disposed external to the at least one first orifice, the at least one pocket of the at least some rings capturing a portion of the at least one first outflow valve disposed at the at least one first orifice. 
 
     
     
       25. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one first outflow valve comprises a ball movable between engaged and disengaged conditions relative to a portion of the at least one first orifice. 
     
     
       26. The apparatus of  claim 25 , wherein the at least one first outflow valve comprises an insert affixed in the at least one first orifice, the ball engageable against the insert. 
     
     
       27. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the first filter filters the fluid flow communicated in the inflow direction from the borehole to the interior and prevents particulate from passing therethrough. 
     
     
       28. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the first filter bridges off with particulate in the fluid flow communicated in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole. 
     
     
       29. The apparatus of  claim 24 , further comprising a second filter disposed adjacent the at least one first orifice and bridging off with particulate in the fluid flow communicated in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole. 
     
     
       30. The apparatus of  claim 24 , wherein the at least one first outflow valve bridges off with particulate in the fluid flow communicated in the outflow direction from the interior to the borehole.